For the last about 25 years we have been putting up the numbers on this countdown. Whoever was the first child up in the morning got to put the number on the bear countdown. Whitney always hid the 22 because that is her birthday. And yes, the number 6 has been missing for the past few yers. The countdown was a good visual as we anticipated Christmas Day.
Anticipation–A feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen; expectation or hope. (Merriam Webster) For some people the anticipation of Christmas does not bring excitement but dread or sadness because of a lost loved one, or family stress, or financial issues.
I am anticiapating the birth of my first granddaughter, grandchild number 6, any day now. I am very excited as I wait! The birth of each grandchild is exciting. Something I have been waiting for about a year finally was completed this past Friday. It was a long wait.
At the end of The Old Testament, there was 400 years of slience. Nothing from God. Then God took on human form as a babe to be the people’s Messiah. The Jews were anticipating that the Messiah would come and deliver them from Roman bondage and set up a kingdom where Israel would be the preeminent nation of the world. They were looking for a political Savior, a King, who would reign over Israel forever, freeing them from the Roman government.
The Jews were not looking for a Messiah to pay for their sin. They were anticipating a ruler to free them. Jesus did not fit who they expected the Messiah to be. In fact, most of what Jesus did ran contrary to their view of a Messiah. For example, the Jewish religious leaders held strictly to the Old Testament law against working on the Sabbath. Jesus, however, healed people on the Sabbath. They also thought Jesus should think and behave more like themselves. However, Jesus hung out with theives and prostitutes. Jesus spoke harshly against the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders. They didn’t take too kindly to Jesus’ claim that he came to give them eternal life if they believed in him. No, Jesus was not who they anticipated as their Messiah.
Many Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah (Matt. 27:22) causing a veil of spiritual blindness to fall upon these previously spiritually discerning people. Do I have a blindness because what I’m anticipating is based on my expectations? The angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. The Bible tells us that they hurried off to see this thing that had happened (Luke 2:8-16). A babe maybe was not what the shepherds had expected as the answer to their Messiah, yet they hurried off. They could hardly wait to see the Savior that was born. Do I anticipate meeting God everyday in prayer, through His Word or in blessings throughout the day?
Since Neal’s death I have thought more about life after our time here on earth. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” I anticipate eagerly seeing Jesus face-to-face. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come,” Matthew 24:42.
I can “bear”ly wait for Christmas. I can “bear”ly wait for the birth of this granddaughter. I can “bear”ly wait to meet The Messiah daily and for eternity. May I not be blinded by my own expectations that I miss what God has in store for me. What can you “bear”ly wait for?
On the journey,
Trish